Markiplier’s Surprise Box Office Hit Has Bad RT Score

Markiplier’s feature directorial debut has sparked mixed reactions despite an unexpected box office performance. Ahead of the film’s wider reception, critics and audiences remain divided over Iron Lung’s execution and adaptation.

Iron Lung didn’t do well with reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Iron Lung, directed by Mark Edward Fischbach, also known as Markiplier, received a 44% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 16 critic reviews. Dennis Harvey of Variety stated, “There’s not a lot of plot here, certainly not enough to sustain a full two hours.”

Mike McCahill of The Guardian rated the film 2 out of 5, saying, “Fischbach… can’t pull off the dramatic heavy lifting required to convert a short film’s worth of plot into a watchable feature.” Nate Adams of The Only Critic gave it a “C” grade and remarked, “Trimming at least thirty minutes from the final cut… would have honored [the game’s structure] better.”

However, some critics gave positive remarks. Alison Foreman of IndieWire awarded a “C+” and wrote, “Iron Lung is audacious and at times astonishingly boring. Still, it feels more enthusiastic and celebratory than many blockbuster adaptations built on safer math.”

Simon Ramshaw of ScreenAnarchy gave a Fresh score, commenting on Fischbach’s approach as “a true original, unbeholden to conventions of duration, collaboration or self-conscious discipline.”

The audience reception sharply contrasted with critical reviews, with a Certified Fresh audience score of 89% from over 1,000 verified ratings. One viewer stated, “The acting, from Mark, to the voices over the speaker are fantastic… the tension [built] until the insane conclusion.” Another said, “One of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time… Some of the best cinematography I’ve ever seen for a movie.”

The film opened on January 30, 2026, in 3,015 theaters and earned $17.8 million during its opening weekend. With a reported production budget under $3 million, its worldwide gross reached $20.8 million. The movie lasts 2 hours and 7 minutes and carries an R rating for bloody images, some gore, and language.

Source: Comingsoon.net